I'm a bit late in doing this.

DH Kirkwood said:

I've already posted a bit across the site, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to actually introduce myself.

First and foremost, I'm a gamer, very much like most of the denizens of the Interweb. I first started my forum addiction back in 2002, starting with Final-Fantasy related forums. Back then, I was actually worried that society would force me to abandon my two favorite hobbies and 'grow up'. Well, I'm in my early thirties now, and I've done no such thing. In fact, I've noticed a change in age demographics. The Internet is still largely dominated by those in their teens and twenties, but there's more and more older folks starting to join online communities, which is great, because it broadens the different perspectives one could expect to run into.

Politics have been an interest of mine since middle-school, and I've had a bad habit of bringing up the subject in forums not pertaining to politics ever since. The last place I was at before here was a fanfiction-related site that I've grown out of. I was originally there to talk about writing, but I lost interest in the fandom without losing interest in the community, and when the last presidential election kicked off, I started spending all my time in user-created forum centered around American politics, mostly populated by conservatives and some bonifide alt-right folks. I served a smalll stint as one of two active moderators of the forum, but the absolutist policy of free-speech meant that there was really no moderating to be done outside of asking people to play nice and using my tongue to attempt to drive the tone of discussions. At the very least, I learned a great deal about conversing with one's political opposition, but I feel that I've gained as much as I am to gain from that small community, and that it's time to move on.

Forums challenge me, in more ways than one. Forum etiquette and debate conventions demand things like *gasp* actual sources, rather than hearsay, burden of proof, and a decent community will not suffer common logical fallacies. All information is suspect to varying degrees, but at least people online tend to argue based on actual information, rather than shooting from the hip based on assumption and conjecture. It's also much easier to have a civil discussion when the person you're speaking to is presented to you as text. In person, I'm a slave to my worst impulses, but online, I have the time and dis-attachment to be able to come to discussions calmly and as objectively as what I'm capable of.

Some would say that political discussions are an exercise in futility, but I disagree, even if it is only we who change as a result. I've never gone from one side of the fence to the other, and I'm not naive enough to believe I can magically convert anyone, but I think there are definitely smaller sections of common ground to be found. Between all the strawmen and sensationalist rhetoric, there's plenty of room to clear up misunderstands, characterizations, and plain ol' hyperbole.

I hope to put my best face forward here, and conduct myself in a friendly and civil manner, but I do admit to having a bit of an ego, which I try to channel in a more positive way, but I've been known to be a dick from time to time. I'm fairly confident that feeding the wrong beast will earn me a swift kick in the ass and a huge piece of humble pie, in any case.

Click to expand...

DH Kirkwood said:

I've already posted a bit across the site, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to actually introduce myself.

First and foremost, I'm a gamer, very much like most of the denizens of the Interweb. I first started my forum addiction back in 2002, starting with Final-Fantasy related forums. Back then, I was actually worried that society would force me to abandon my two favorite hobbies and 'grow up'. Well, I'm in my early thirties now, and I've done no such thing. In fact, I've noticed a change in age demographics. The Internet is still largely dominated by those in their teens and twenties, but there's more and more older folks starting to join online communities, which is great, because it broadens the different perspectives one could expect to run into.

Politics have been an interest of mine since middle-school, and I've had a bad habit of bringing up the subject in forums not pertaining to politics ever since. The last place I was at before here was a fanfiction-related site that I've grown out of. I was originally there to talk about writing, but I lost interest in the fandom without losing interest in the community, and when the last presidential election kicked off, I started spending all my time in user-created forum centered around American politics, mostly populated by conservatives and some bonifide alt-right folks. I served a smalll stint as one of two active moderators of the forum, but the absolutist policy of free-speech meant that there was really no moderating to be done outside of asking people to play nice and using my tongue to attempt to drive the tone of discussions. At the very least, I learned a great deal about conversing with one's political opposition, but I feel that I've gained as much as I am to gain from that small community, and that it's time to move on.

Forums challenge me, in more ways than one. Forum etiquette and debate conventions demand things like *gasp* actual sources, rather than hearsay, burden of proof, and a decent community will not suffer common logical fallacies. All information is suspect to varying degrees, but at least people online tend to argue based on actual information, rather than shooting from the hip based on assumption and conjecture. It's also much easier to have a civil discussion when the person you're speaking to is presented to you as text. In person, I'm a slave to my worst impulses, but online, I have the time and dis-attachment to be able to come to discussions calmly and as objectively as what I'm capable of.

Some would say that political discussions are an exercise in futility, but I disagree, even if it is only we who change as a result. I've never gone from one side of the fence to the other, and I'm not naive enough to believe I can magically convert anyone, but I think there are definitely smaller sections of common ground to be found. Between all the strawmen and sensationalist rhetoric, there's plenty of room to clear up misunderstands, characterizations, and plain ol' hyperbole.

I hope to put my best face forward here, and conduct myself in a friendly and civil manner, but I do admit to having a bit of an ego, which I try to channel in a more positive way, but I've been known to be a dick from time to time. I'm fairly confident that feeding the wrong beast will earn me a swift kick in the ass and a huge piece of humble pie, in any case.

Click to expand...

DH Kirkwood said:

I've already posted a bit across the site, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to actually introduce myself.

First and foremost, I'm a gamer, very much like most of the denizens of the Interweb. I first started my forum addiction back in 2002, starting with Final-Fantasy related forums. Back then, I was actually worried that society would force me to abandon my two favorite hobbies and 'grow up'. Well, I'm in my early thirties now, and I've done no such thing. In fact, I've noticed a change in age demographics. The Internet is still largely dominated by those in their teens and twenties, but there's more and more older folks starting to join online communities, which is great, because it broadens the different perspectives one could expect to run into.

Politics have been an interest of mine since middle-school, and I've had a bad habit of bringing up the subject in forums not pertaining to politics ever since. The last place I was at before here was a fanfiction-related site that I've grown out of. I was originally there to talk about writing, but I lost interest in the fandom without losing interest in the community, and when the last presidential election kicked off, I started spending all my time in user-created forum centered around American politics, mostly populated by conservatives and some bonifide alt-right folks. I served a smalll stint as one of two active moderators of the forum, but the absolutist policy of free-speech meant that there was really no moderating to be done outside of asking people to play nice and using my tongue to attempt to drive the tone of discussions. At the very least, I learned a great deal about conversing with one's political opposition, but I feel that I've gained as much as I am to gain from that small community, and that it's time to move on.

Forums challenge me, in more ways than one. Forum etiquette and debate conventions demand things like *gasp* actual sources, rather than hearsay, burden of proof, and a decent community will not suffer common logical fallacies. All information is suspect to varying degrees, but at least people online tend to argue based on actual information, rather than shooting from the hip based on assumption and conjecture. It's also much easier to have a civil discussion when the person you're speaking to is presented to you as text. In person, I'm a slave to my worst impulses, but online, I have the time and dis-attachment to be able to come to discussions calmly and as objectively as what I'm capable of.

Some would say that political discussions are an exercise in futility, but I disagree, even if it is only we who change as a result. I've never gone from one side of the fence to the other, and I'm not naive enough to believe I can magically convert anyone, but I think there are definitely smaller sections of common ground to be found. Between all the strawmen and sensationalist rhetoric, there's plenty of room to clear up misunderstands, characterizations, and plain ol' hyperbole.

I hope to put my best face forward here, and conduct myself in a friendly and civil manner, but I do admit to having a bit of an ego, which I try to channel in a more positive way, but I've been known to be a dick from time to time. I'm fairly confident that feeding the wrong beast will earn me a swift kick in the ass and a huge piece of humble pie, in any case.

Click to expand...

DH Kirkwood said:

I've already posted a bit across the site, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to actually introduce myself.

First and foremost, I'm a gamer, very much like most of the denizens of the Interweb. I first started my forum addiction back in 2002, starting with Final-Fantasy related forums. Back then, I was actually worried that society would force me to abandon my two favorite hobbies and 'grow up'. Well, I'm in my early thirties now, and I've done no such thing. In fact, I've noticed a change in age demographics. The Internet is still largely dominated by those in their teens and twenties, but there's more and more older folks starting to join online communities, which is great, because it broadens the different perspectives one could expect to run into.

Politics have been an interest of mine since middle-school, and I've had a bad habit of bringing up the subject in forums not pertaining to politics ever since. The last place I was at before here was a fanfiction-related site that I've grown out of. I was originally there to talk about writing, but I lost interest in the fandom without losing interest in the community, and when the last presidential election kicked off, I started spending all my time in user-created forum centered around American politics, mostly populated by conservatives and some bonifide alt-right folks. I served a smalll stint as one of two active moderators of the forum, but the absolutist policy of free-speech meant that there was really no moderating to be done outside of asking people to play nice and using my tongue to attempt to drive the tone of discussions. At the very least, I learned a great deal about conversing with one's political opposition, but I feel that I've gained as much as I am to gain from that small community, and that it's time to move on.

Forums challenge me, in more ways than one. Forum etiquette and debate conventions demand things like *gasp* actual sources, rather than hearsay, burden of proof, and a decent community will not suffer common logical fallacies. All information is suspect to varying degrees, but at least people online tend to argue based on actual information, rather than shooting from the hip based on assumption and conjecture. It's also much easier to have a civil discussion when the person you're speaking to is presented to you as text. In person, I'm a slave to my worst impulses, but online, I have the time and dis-attachment to be able to come to discussions calmly and as objectively as what I'm capable of.

Some would say that political discussions are an exercise in futility, but I disagree, even if it is only we who change as a result. I've never gone from one side of the fence to the other, and I'm not naive enough to believe I can magically convert anyone, but I think there are definitely smaller sections of common ground to be found. Between all the strawmen and sensationalist rhetoric, there's plenty of room to clear up misunderstands, characterizations, and plain ol' hyperbole.

I hope to put my best face forward here, and conduct myself in a friendly and civil manner, but I do admit to having a bit of an ego, which I try to channel in a more positive way, but I've been known to be a dick from time to time. I'm fairly confident that feeding the wrong beast will earn me a swift kick in the ass and a huge piece of humble pie, in any case.

Click to expand...